Youth News

The Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through their Supervised Agricultural Experiences have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students can compete for awards in 47 areas covering everything from Agricultural Communications to Wildlife Management. Each award area has two categories, placement and entrepreneurship- although in some award area- those two categories are combined.

Placement proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to employment, apprenticeships, or internships at an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Entrepreneurship proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to ownership of an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Proficiency awards are given out at the local, state and national levels.

Here in 2018, Oklahoma had 21 finalists vying for national honors in the Proficiency categories- and four of them were named national champions on Friday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at the 91st National Convention of the FFA. The four winners placed Oklahoma third on a state basis- behind Georgia and Ohio.

The winner in the 2018 Outdoor Recreation Entrepreneurship/Placement category was Kelby Rudd of the Stillwater FFA Chapter.

Kelby leads guided hunts on public and private properties for Stillwater Outfitters. The locations, a 180-acre high fence preserve, an 800 acre high fence preserve, and a 2,000 acre low fence area, offer hunts for elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, turkey, and ram.

His day-to-day tasks include working to advertise, scheduling hunts and lodging for prospective hunting guests, and maintaining financial records. Rudd plans to study Rangeland Management at Oklahoma State University.

He is supported by his FFA advisors Robby Branscum and Carl Nipper.

Moments after hearing his name called on the FFA Convention stage, Rudd talked with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays about his program that led to this national championship.

Listen to their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.

Once again, we are taking pictures in and around the 2018 National FFA Convention- click or tap here to check out the National Convention Album on FLICKR. By the way- we continue a tradition as several state officers of the Oklahoma FFA will be taking pictures for us during the course of the meeting.

Our exclusive coverage of the 2018 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis October 24-27 is a service of ITC Great Plains, Your Energy Superhighway- learn more about this high voltage, transmission only utility and their commitment to the communities they serve which is the cornerstone of their business - Click or tap here for their webpage. We also appreciate the support of the Oklahoma FFA Association and the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association. Click or tap here for more information about one of the top states in the US in the FFA- the Oklahoma FFA Association. FFA is a student organization for high school-aged students interested in agriculture and leadership. Oklahoma FFA impacts the lives of over 27,000 members in 359 chapters across the state.

Listen to Rudd's complete conversation with Hays from Indianapolis, by clicking or tapping below.